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Each week a small segment of Vernon County history is published in the county papers.
For the week of 9/13/2026
by Kristen Parrott, curator
As we continue to commemorate the U.S. 250th, this month we offer two programs that focus on the idea of the “American Experiment”. The first program is about the history of the state orphanage at Sparta, and the second is about the history of the Vernon County asylum and poor house/farm. These institutions were all experiments in caring for vulnerable populations: orphans, the very poor, the mentally ill, disabled people, the elderly.
On Tuesday, September 22, at 7PM, at the Vernon County Museum and History Center, Jarrod Roll will present a program titled, “Gone But Not Forgotten: History of the Wisconsin State School / Child Center”. Jarrod is the Director of the Monroe County Local History Room and Museum.
Between 1886 and 1976, Wisconsin children who were orphaned or neglected were often sent to the orphanage in Sparta, officially called the State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children. Some of these children came from Vernon County. At the height of its operation in the 1930s, the State School, later renamed the “Wisconsin Child Center,” was home to over 500 children and occupied 25 buildings on its campus.
In the structured environment of the Child Center, children were provided with food, clothing, health care, education, and manual training, until they were 18 years old. The goal of the institution was to place children with families outside its walls. For some children, going to the Child Center was the first step to a better life, but for others, living there was another sad chapter in an already traumatic childhood.
Everyone is welcome to attend this fascinating program. Programs are held in the museum’s first-floor conference room. Suggested donation of $2.50 per person.
A few days later, on Sunday, September 27, the Vernon County Historical Society will host a cemetery walk at the Vernon County Cemetery in Viroqua at 4PM. The cemetery is located just north of what was once the Vernon County asylum and poor house, near the Erlandson Building off County Home Rd. Most of the asylum and poor house/farm buildings were torn down several decades ago.
Residents who died at these institutions, and whose families were unable to retrieve their bodies, were buried here in this cemetery. The cemetery was also a “potter’s field” for the county, a place to bury those who had no money to pay for a grave.
The poor farm, also called the alms house, was established in Viroqua in the 1860’s, and the asylum, later called a hospital, was built in 1889. The last burials in the cemetery occurred around 1970. A large stone marker commemorates all who are buried there. Most of the individual gravestones have been removed, but 30 still remain in place.
This cemetery walk will focus on stories of people who lived or worked at the poor house and the asylum, and those who are buried there. Costumed actors will tell their stories. More details next week!
One side of the large stone marker at the Vernon County Cemetery on the north side of Viroqua. Most of the individual gravestones at the cemetery were removed years ago.
For the week of 9/6/2026
by Bridget Van Beckum, assistant curator
The Vernon County Fair is fast approaching! Come find our booth in the VMH building to say “hi” and play some trivia! Or, if you’d like to be more involved, we are still looking for volunteers to staff our booth. To sign up for a two-hour shift, you can either contact us at museum@vernoncountyhistory.org or 608-637-7396, or stop by the museum. Our fall hours are Monday through Friday, from 11 to 4.
Even after the Fair is done, we will still have plenty going on here at the VCHS. This month’s program at the Vernon County Museum and History Center will be on Tuesday, September 22 at 7 PM. Jarrod Roll, Director of the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum, will present “Gone But Not Forgotten: History of the Wisconsin State School / Child Center,” exploring the history of State Public School for Dependent and Neglected Children in Sparta. Thousands of orphaned and neglected children from all over Wisconsin, including Vernon County, found themselves living at the State School from 1886 until it closed in 1976. This program should be particularly interesting because the stories of children are not often told or recorded in history – especially those of vulnerable children living on the edge of society.
Be sure to also join us on September 27 at 4 PM for a cemetery walk at the Vernon County Cemetery, the former site of the Vernon County Poor Farm & Asylum. Costumed actors will bring to life the stories of those who lived and worked there. (And if you’d like to volunteer to be an actor for the tour, it’s not too late to sign up!) In case of rain, the cemetery walk will be postponed to Sunday, October 4.
Last but not least, the Cheyenne Settlers Heritage Society is having a Historical Presentation/Fundraiser on Saturday, September 19, at the Hillsboro Fireman’s Park on Hwy 33. There will be guest speakers (including VCHS board member Kevin Alderson), food, raffles, door prizes, and more! Doors open at 10 AM. For more info, find the Cheyenne Settlers Heritage Society on Facebook, or stop by the Vernon County Museum to pick up a poster. Now and then people come to the museum to research Cheyenne Valley, so this event is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the area’s unique history from the perspective of some of the original settlers’ descendants!
As you can see, there’s a lot of local history in store for you this month! We hope you’ll take advantage of at least one of these opportunities to learn about the rich history of Vernon County.
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